


Untouched by the Frost

by deskclutter



Category: The Sandman
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-06-22
Updated: 2010-06-22
Packaged: 2017-10-10 05:38:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 317
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/96182
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/deskclutter/pseuds/deskclutter
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Loki and his preoccupations, at the beginning of The Kindly Ones.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Untouched by the Frost

  
**Title:** Untouched by the Frost  
**Day/Theme:** February 10 / the lost husband  
**Series:** Sandman  
**Character/Pairing:** Loki  
**Rating:** G  
Alight from the shadows he springs. The quicksilver shine of his teeth glitter with malice, innocent malice. He has no fixed plans, merely the vaguest vague outline of ridding himself of his debt to the Dream King. But aside from that, not much at all.

He does not think of a woman who pours poison for him. He's come this far without losing, for life's a game to this younger brother of Odin's, and old things don't wither so fast once they've come this far. He has no time to lose, because existence is not life, it's a standby, an intermission, and for Loki, he's been waiting far too long for the stage to allow him back.

Life's fire, and though he's had most of it poisoned out of him, there's a spark in the ash somewhere, and it's looking to burn as merrily in the hearth of his mischief as it used to. Women who devotedly collect bowls of poison drop by drop for their husbands' flesh can't hold his darting attention right now.

Loki, who has lost a little of his nimble trickery if Morpheus caught him out so easily, and that much does not sit well with him, has little time to waste. He's got a reputation to recover, which used to be the crown of his achievements and is now quite, quite soiled, which also does not sit well with him. Many things do not sit well with Loki, and that is not acceptable, for Loki should not sit well with things, such as Odin's peace of mind and Thor's temper.

No time for wives who have been ensorcelled. Things to burn, people to trap. He must remember not to lose himself in the blaze. There are other things to be done after that.


End file.
